We left New York City to move near my in-laws for our son

Two years before our son was born, my partner Liv and I moved to New York City after selling our house in suburban Maryland and relocating to an apartment sight unseen. She worked full time while pursuing a master’s at Columbia, and I was figuring out life after quitting my tech job.

We had imagined the city would bring the kind of tight community we wanted. The city delivered an intense mix of sights and people, and I made new friends, but the deep adult relationships I had hoped for did not materialize the way I expected. A chance conversation with a tourist couple from Germany helped tip us toward starting a family, and six months later Liv was pregnant.

After our son was born and I became a stay-at-home dad, our priorities changed. We could not afford the life we wanted in the city and needed more space and help. When a house near my in-laws in Delaware came up for sale at an attractive price, we decided to buy it and moved after our son’s first birthday.

nyc, delaware, maryland, in-laws, stay-at-home, dad, columbia, apartment, house, community